Assessment for Learning “Assessment for Learning”: A brief synopsis of a PLC working towards higher student achievement through assessment, data-based decision making, and timely intervention.

Developing a System of Success 21 st century (Share Knowledge) Collaboration (risk taking) Harmon math success Credited to system in place One size does not fit all Need to incorporate core beliefs Collaborate and take risks (we are a team)

Goals of PLC A common interpretation of the State of Ohio Grade Level Indicators Common assessment practices Common Sequencing and pacing of meaningful lessons Common grading practices Collect and analyze classroom data to identify each student’s individual needs Develop and implement intervention and enrichment

Common understanding of grade level indicator: Team of teachers meet to “unpack” the state standards. Teachers analyze the usage of the verb (or action) that students must master, and the content (material) of the indicator. Examine released test question from many states. This type of team approach: –Prepares students for grade level testing –Eliminates curricular gaps between and within grade levels

Assessment Design: Assessment design before lesson design –Help ensure ALL teachers agree on an end related directly to grade level indicator Summative assessments are used to report achievement – An assessment of learning (Although we use them for learning in many cases).

Summative Design Our summative assessments (end of unit tests) are designed to mirror the outside audit (state test). Selected Response, Short Answer, and Extended Response The benefits –Familiar with format –Data analysis more timely (meaningful intervention) –Interesting findings (selected response questions)

Formative assessment: An assessment created for the purpose of determining student understanding of material BEFORE they are to be tested at unit end with the summative. Assessment for learning not of. In math we check individual skills as we go through each unit lasting about four weeks.

Formative Assessment Formative assessment dictates our pacing, lesson design (changes), and most importantly our intervention process. Formative assessments arm teachers with valuable data about student achievement, but instead of moving on we now need to re-teach the concepts to those that have not learned the material the first time.

INTERVENTION Exploring one of the three Groups: Students who can’t Students who won’t Students who need or want more time

Those who can’t Upon completion of teaching sub-skills within a unit our students take a formative assessment. This is done when “we” the teachers feel we are ready to continue moving through our unit (based on informal formative assessment). Not surprising, we are ALL not ready. Based on this data students are assigned to a recess intervention to receive timely and meaningful intervention.

Results First week of school mult. fact assessment Very Important skill for first unit (Prime Time). One week of math extension class. This was the first time experienced success like this before.

Results Another example of a formative assessment Determine the appropriate measure for a given situation. Sub-skill needed for summative assessment In past would have moved on without proper intervention before the unit end 7% absent for intervention re-test (Another huge benefit)

Summative as Formative? Although contradictory by name, summative assessment also provide formative data used to improve student achievement. All summative assessments are linked to many indicators and each question is coded. Teachers receive data on the success of these questions in the forms of individual student and all students as a whole.

Individual Data Data analysis at first glance informs us who has not mastered the unit concepts. These students are then analyzed at greater depth to find which indicators they have not mastered. Intervention strategy developed by team of teachers. Each student receives an individualized intervention and re-tested to prove mastery. All done through recess math intervention.

Whole 6 th Grade Data Through the data analysis we identify all the indicators that have the lowest achievement. We then provide multiple exposures through our Homework of the Week (HOW). We continue cycling these through until the next data analysis performed after the next summative. Trends for future instruction.

Results Unit end assessment at the end of Prime Time Unit. The remaining 5% received individual instruction from either Mrs. Ellis or myself in the a.m.

Results Unit assessment at the end of our “Bits and Pieces II” Unit Remaining 4% of students received individual instruction in the a.m.

What If?

Intervention Serves ALL Students: Students that require additional guided practice and intervention. Students that “get it” do not have to wait for those that need more guided practice (done through intervention). Absent students that miss critical lessons because those are all formatively assessed.

The Big Idea Assessment is our tool to gather data Assessment and Data are used to guide our curricular pacing Assessment and Data are the lenses from which we decide who needs intervention Intervention is the tool we use to ensure every child is learning Assessment and Data are used to make sure our interventions are working

Where do we go from here? Our evidence suggests recess intervention works. Our data suggests we have more students reaching mastery than ever before. Imagine success when we become more efficient and this is happening in every classroom district wide.

Where do we go from here? We need to consider what happens in subjects that do not have a built-in intervention class. Hopefully this will be our discussion today. –How are we using assessment? –How are we providing correctiveness and enrichment? –Are we truly common or are we collaborating?